Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.22-2

1.2.22-2

su. - evaṃ pṛṣṭo mṛtyuḥ, mumukṣum enaṃ jānannapi, gabhīrasya arthasya adhigame utsāhaviśeṣaṃ sthūṇānikhanananyāyena draḍhayituṃ, prativadati - devaiḥ iti | yadvā - dvitīyena vareṇa prasiddhasvargasādhanameva apṛcchat | svargavarṇanapare svarge loke iti mantre na bhayaṃ kiñcanāsti iti mānuṣalokasambhāvitabhayābhāva eva ucyate, na tatra tvam iti yamaśāsanāvaśyatvam ucyate, amṛtapānādijanitā tṛptiḥ ubhe tīrtvā ityādinā ucyate; amṛtaprāptiśca ucyamānā, cirakālasthāyitvamabhipretya |
svargasādhanam agniṃ pṛṣṭoyamaḥ, tamuddiśya tanmatikauśalena prasannaḥ tena apṛṣye'pi, tasyāgneḥ māhātmyavarṇanaprasaṅgena triranuṣṭhitasya jñānadvārā paramapuruṣārthalakṣaṇamokṣopayogi-tāmāha - triṇāciketa ityādinā | ukta evārthaḥ | tadevaṃ prasaṅgāt asya mokṣasādhanatvarūpaṃ mahimānam upaśrutya, sañjātaparamapuruṣārtharuciḥ san, mokṣasvarūpamapṛcchat - yeyaṃ prete - iti | evaṃ pṛṣṭo yamaḥ, tasya mumukṣāṃ parīkṣitumāha - devaiḥ iti | yadyapi - prāk sasyamiva martyaḥ pacyate sasyamivājāyate punaḥ - ityāha, na tāvatā tasya svargādāvapi vaitṛṣṇyaṃ 1 jñāyate, janmamaraṇayoḥ avarjanīyatvena jīvitanimitte na vyalīkaṃ2 vaktavyam ityetāvaducyate | tat asyāṃ vyākhyāyāmapi na atīva bādhakam | paramaniśśreyasasvarūpaṃ hi sapadi na upadeśyam; aparīkṣya śiṣyādhikāram icchāmātreṇetyaṇetyabhipretya tatparīkṣaṇāyāha - devaiḥ iti | atra tvayā pṛcchyamāne muktisvarūpe | devairapi purā vicikitsitam - saṃśayitam | apinā mānuṣebhyaḥ prakṛṣṭajñānavattā devānāṃ vyajyate | tadevaṃ devānāmapi saṃśayāspadamidaṃ bhavādṛśānāṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ na suvijñeyam | devānāmapi agamyam, bhavādṛśānām agamyam ityetat, kaimutikanyāyasiddhamiti hi śabdena vyajyate |
durjñeyatve hetumāha - eṣa dharmaḥ, muktasvarūpamityetat | muktāpekṣayā tatsvarūpaṃ hi dharmaḥ? etena muktāvapi dharmadharmibhāvo vyañjitaḥ | muktātmasvarūpaṃ, muktisvarūpaṃ sasādhanaṃ vā, dharmaśabdena ucyate | he naciketaḥ! anyaṃ varaṃ vṛṇīṣva, mā moparotsīḥ, enaṃ māṃ - pratiśrutavaraṃ mām, atisṛja - muñca |
yadyapi trīnvarānvṛṇīṣva iti pratijānatā mayā, yāvadvaradānam adhamarṇenaiva bhūyate nāma; tathāpi bhavādṛśajanaduradhigame'sminnekasminviṣaye, māṃ tyaja, vṛthā nirbandhaṃ mā kuru ityāśayaḥ ||